Here’s where Covid rules for visitors from China are changing

BEIJING — Some nations introduced new Covid testing necessities for guests from China after the mainland mentioned it could lastly chill out border controls.

Japan was the primary nation to subsequently launch rule adjustments, adopted by the U.S. and others. Covid-19 infections surged this month in mainland China, however there may be restricted knowledge out there publicly.

Here are among the newest coverage adjustments for vacationers from China:

Starting Jan. 5, all airline passengers 2 years and older originating from mainland China, Hong Kong or Macao shall be required upon departure to the U.S. to point out a damaging Covid-19 check end result from inside the final two days, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention introduced Wednesday.

The guidelines apply to individuals of all nationalities and vaccination standing.

Testing has decreased throughout China and it is unclear what variants are circulating on the mainland as a result of genomic surveillance knowledge can be restricted, a federal well being official informed reporters.

For the month of January, all vacationers from mainland China by way of direct flight or boat might want to check for Covid-19 upon arrival in Taiwan, the native Centers for Disease Control mentioned Wednesday.

Those who check optimistic can quarantine at house, the discover mentioned.

The guidelines don’t apply to flights from Hong Kong or Macao.

All vacationers coming from China to Italy might want to get examined for Covid-19, even when simply transiting, the European nation’s well being minister mentioned Wednesday.

The minister mentioned the nation would additionally conduct virus sequencing, however didn’t say what would occur to vacationers who examined optimistic.

Health authorities in areas close to Milan and Rome mentioned vacationers who examined optimistic must quarantine in designated buildings, Reuters reported.

Australia just isn’t including restrictions to guests from China, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese mentioned Thursday, based on an official transcript of his interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corp.

Albanese mentioned Australia would monitor circumstances in China and different nations, in addition to take “appropriate advice” from well being specialists. “Our priority is to keep Australians as safe as possible,” he mentioned.

Omicron — extra transmissible however inflicting much less extreme illness — turned the dominant Covid variant globally during the last 12 months. Most of the world moved to a state of residing with the virus months earlier than China ended lots of its Covid controls this month.

Starting Jan. 8, inbound vacationers to mainland China will now not have to quarantine upon arrival, Beijing introduced Monday. Visitors would nonetheless want to point out a damaging for Covid-19 from inside the final 48 hours.

Chinese authorities additionally mentioned they might enhance visa processing for foreigners, whereas resuming Chinese residents’ passport purposes for journey overseas, together with for tourism. No precise timeframe was specified.

—CNBC’s Jihye Lee and Spencer Kimball contributed to this report.